Dress Up With These Cosplay Romance Books
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Jessica Pryde is a member of that rare breed that grew up in Washington, DC, but is happily enjoying the warmer weather of the desert Southwest. While she is still working on what she wants to be when she grows up, she’s enjoying dabbling in librarianship and writing all the things. She's the editor of Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters, and her fiction has been published by Generous Press. She can be found drowning in her ever-growing TBR and exclaiming about romance on When in Romance, as well as on social media. Find her exclamations about books and internet ridiculousness on BlueSky (JessIsReading) and instagram/threads (jess_is_reading).
View All posts by Jessica Pryde
Jessica Pryde is a member of that rare breed that grew up in Washington, DC, but is happily enjoying the warmer weather of the desert Southwest. While she is still working on what she wants to be when she grows up, she’s enjoying dabbling in librarianship and writing all the things. She's the editor of Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters, and her fiction has been published by Generous Press. She can be found drowning in her ever-growing TBR and exclaiming about romance on When in Romance, as well as on social media. Find her exclamations about books and internet ridiculousness on BlueSky (JessIsReading) and instagram/threads (jess_is_reading).
View All posts by Jessica Pryde
It might not be Con Season, but it’s always a good time to read about people who love cosplay! The creativity, the drama! We love a person of any gender who knows how to handle a sewing machine AND a makeup brush. And on top of that, these are the people who are incredibly passionate about their favorite fandom(s) and aren’t afraid to put themselves out there. If people want to stomp on their joy? Psh. You can’t bring them down.
On top of the messaging that comes from the acceptance and community of the right fannish friends, cosplay and fandom offer great opportunities to land in potential meet-cute (or meet-disaster) situations! Just look at YA novels like Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala and NerdCrush by Alisha Emrich, where themes of confidence and being yourself sit side by side with suuuuper awkward relationship troubles!
But don’t worry; these adult romances centering on cosplay might only make you want to read between your fingers in secondhand embarrassment a little bit.
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All Access members, read on for recommendations of cosplay romance books.
Cosplay and Confrontation by Sarah Zane
In a story inspired vaguely by Pride and Prejudice, Lanie and Gwen were once cosplaying besties. But after Gwen broke their mutual friend’s heart and left town, they basically never spoke again. Now, Gwen is back and just wants to get through this big cosplay contest (winning, of course). But the two will have to face their pasts, and Lanie will have to deal with her anger, before the whole event crashes down on their heads.
Pivot by Anna Pulley
The cosplay doesn’t do as much heavy lifting in this story, but it does lead our two leads to each other in a pretty embarrassing way. When we meet Paula, she is putting the finishing touches on her Plavalaguna costume, preparing to sing “Il Dolce Suono” (not a good harbinger of success, iykyk) as an introduction/supplication to her cosplay crush. It…does not go well, but she does meet Nita, who helps her escape from the situation. They have instant chemistry, but neither is looking for a relationship. Doesn’t mean they can’t be friends, right? And in Nita’s case, it doesn’t mean she can’t use Paula as an interview source for her family’s tanking newspaper.
Cosplay Worthy by Quiana Glide
Layla loves comics and cosplay, and is excited to meet her favorite comics artist, dressed in cosplay for her favorite character from his work. When they meet, there might be a few fireworks, and the convention weekend leaves them both pretty satisfied. They go their own way at the end, but an online connection leads to them building something real out of the opportunities the internet provides them. But fans can be terrible people, and their relationship might be the next casualty of fandom shenanigans (derogatory).
If that’s not enough for you, keep an eye out for Lydia San Andres’s Only Friends, her first contemporary romance, about a Times Square cosplayer and model and the screenwriter who gets him to do Regency Thirst Traps ™ for her.
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Looking for more fannish romance? Check out this list of romances with fanfiction themes.
